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The Harvard EdCast

How the History of Black and Native Education Can Inform Our Future

Feb 19, 2025
Eve Ewing, an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago and author of "Original Sins," dives deep into the intertwined histories of Black and Native education. She argues these narratives are crucial for understanding American schooling. Ewing critiques traditional metrics of success, exposing how they ignore systemic inequalities and inherited advantages. She challenges the biases in standardized testing and discusses the need for community dialogue to reframe educational objectives, empowering marginalized voices for a more equitable future.
20:06

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Eve Ewing emphasizes the importance of understanding Black and Native education histories as central narratives shaping American schooling's future.
  • The podcast challenges traditional educational success metrics, urging a reevaluation of what constitutes a 'good school' for marginalized students.

Deep dives

The History of Control in Education

The history of education in America is intertwined with systems of control, exclusion, and inequality, particularly affecting Black and Native children. Eve Ewing emphasizes that the experiences of these groups are foundational to understanding the entire American public schooling system, arguing that they should not be treated as peripheral topics but rather as central narratives. Her research reveals that traditional education curricula often downplay the significance of these histories, positioning them as footnotes instead of critical components of the overarching story. By recognizing these histories, Ewing argues, we can begin to address the systemic inequalities that persist in contemporary educational practices.

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